AN aid worker from North Yorkshire who spent a lifetime helping people and survived an earlier massive earthquake was killed by the Asian tsunami.

Robin Needham, 51, who was brought up in Helmsley, was on holiday with his wife, Lucy, and their four children when the giant wave devastated Koh Phra Thong, an island off southern Thailand.

Colleagues said that his family had been safely evacuated and that a thanksgiving service would be held later this year.

Mr Needham had devoted his life to helping deprived and poor Asian people, and was the founder of the charity Care UK. He had been the director of Care Nepal for seven years.

Dr Balaram Thapa, of Care Nepal, said: "He was a passionate humanitarian, an outstanding leader, a deeply committed development professional and a great friend of Nepal."